Breathe
by Zoe-eoZ
Summary: Alternate reality in which the Braxtons have another brother... As a kid with a violent form of ASD, Danny Jr. can involuntarily become a danger to his family. So far they've managed to deal with any troubles themselves. Until one day, Danny goes too far and someone almost dies... What now? (Includes Ricky as a doc, and Case and Kyle as twins)
1. The incident

_Hi! A quick note, or a word of "warning" and a preemptive apology. This alternate reality story - whatever it may turn into (if it turns into anything longer at all) - is not going to be quite politically correct or medically accurate whatsoever, and while it is not meant to upset anyone, it might. I will be using a minor original character - another Braxton brother named Danny Jr. - who, it can be argued, is somewhere on the spectrum, which makes him have certain issues._

_Please tread carefully and do let me know if it's too offensive in any way._

_Now that that is out of the way: Thank you if you're giving this a chance._

_This is dedicated to the awesome Braxtonboyzz123, who's been waiting for a different story of mine that I'm still struggling with too much to post just yet. Thanks for being patient! :)_

* * *

…

"Let him go, Daniel. Danny. Please, you gotta let him go. - Danny!"

Daryl Braxton is slowly walking over to the kid, very carefully measuring every step he takes so as not to startle him. Danny, one of his four younger brothers, isn't quite like the others, and any sudden movement could make this stuffed up situation worse. As if it wasn't bad enough already.

The boy turns his head upon hearing Brax, fixating a spot somewhere to the side of him. Behind him, he can hear Casey, the youngest of them all, trying his luck and address Danny.

"Come on, mate, he didn't mean it. Just… let him go, yeah?"

The tremor in his voice makes Brax's hairs stand on end, and when there's still no reaction from their brother, he knows there's only one way to break this all up. So he lunges forward so quickly that Danny doesn't have a chance to quite comprehend what hits him, then he grabs his brother's arm, hard, making the kid wail, then roar.

Danny hates being touched, everyone knows that. Everyone is mindful of it. But not today, not now. Because right now, he has their other brother, Kyle, in a chokehold, and the kid's lips have turned a dangerous shade of blue as all struggle has begun to leave him and he's slumping in on himself where Danny keeps him restrained against the kitchen wall.

A hand hits Brax smackdab in the middle of his face, splitting his lip, but he ignores that just like he ignores Danny's crescendoing roar, or the following kicks.

"Brax," Casey mutters, sounding closer now, and when Brax briefly turns, he sees him walking toward them all and raises his hand.

"Stay where you are," he orders, because dammit if he lets another one of his siblings get too close to each other today.

"Let. Go!" he then addresses Danny before him, the volume of his voice rising with every word. "Let go, or I'll have to hurt you. And we both don't want that. Come on, Danny, you're killing him!"

His grip tightening as he evades another attack from the kid, he takes a deep breath, begging to whatever powers there may be that Daniel will listen. But then, when he still doesn't let go of Kyle, instead keeps pushing down on his airways, Brax resorts to brute force, digging into Danny's hand, grabbing the boy's fingers and-

An awful snapping noise makes him swallow around a lump in his throat, and he can hear Casey's gasp close to him. Turning, he exchanges a brief glance with the younger one, then focuses back on Daniel, and Kyle.

Abruptly, Danny lets go, staring at his hand, mouth moving without words coming out, and even now, he can't meet Brax's eyes.

"Shit," Brax hisses, his thoughts going a mile a minute, and still he's present enough to use the moment and grab Danny, pushing him away from Kyle and toward the nearest bathroom while Kyle flops to the ground behind him.

"Take care of him!" he hollers over to a stunned looking Casey, not waiting for the boy's reply, because he'll only have so much time to keep Danny calm now.

What a bloody awful day...

* * *

...

Casey is shaking slightly as he rushes over to where his twin-brother is lying on the ground, half propped up against the wall behind him.

"Kyle? Can you hear me?"

Falling to his knees before his brother, he gently slaps his cheeks, feeling for a pulse, for the movements of breathing coming from him. A loud sigh escapes him when he can feel both, even though the pulse is thready, and the breaths weak.

"Come on, mate. Wake up. You're okay now," he soothes the unconscious kid, pulling him close as he fumbles for his phone with his free hand. They need an ambulance, that much is clear. This time, they won't be able to just deal with things at home. Not when Danny has broken fingers, and Kyle isn't coming to…

Crap.

Gnawing on his lip, he waits for someone to answer his call, leaning his forehead against Kyle's.

"You're going to be okay, mate, you hear?" he mutters, not sure whether he's saying it for Kyle's sake or his own.

* * *

…

"Does this happen often?"

The young doctor - a pretty blonde called Dr. Erica Sharpe going by her name tag - is squinting at Brax with a hint of suspicion, and he scoffs at her as he crosses both hands behind his head for a moment, trying to take a few calming breaths.

"What? That my autistic middle brother almost chokes one of my youngest brothers to death and I have to break his fingers to stop him? Nope, can't say that it does. Even in our screwed up family that's a new low."

The woman before him has an expression somewhere between sadness and a smile, and the air of compassion he gets from her is so different and new that he doesn't know how to react.

"Well, Mr. Braxton-"

"Brax, please."

The smile grows a little, making his heart skip a beat. Closing his eyes, he tells himself to focus, to not lose it. Not when he's in the middle of this giant stuffed up disaster. He will have to call Heath, too, let him know about this, not that the kid will care or come back home because of it.

"Brax? Daryl, is it?"

Jolting back, he stares at the doctor with a puzzled look.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said that violent behavior is not completely uncommon in certain manifestations of the autism spectrum disorder. Unfortunately it is often very taboo in our society to talk about this, but I can assure you-"

"Danny is not violent!" he shoots back at her before she can finish, and he crosses his arms in front of him, raising his chin up as he glares at her.

"Your other brother's injuries beg to differ, Brax." Erica Sharpe meets his gaze head-on, clearly not intimidated at all by his defensive stance, and that is new, too.

"My brother's injurie_s_…" Did she just use the plural? The way she raises her eyebrows tells him that that's exactly what she did.

"Did you know that there are traces of… other types of abuse on Kyle's body? His back, his arms…"

Gritting his teeth, he tries to remain stoic, calm, tries to stay in control as she slowly pulls the rug out from under him. Traces of abuse. How did he not know this? The lump in his throat is back with a vengeance as he keeps listening to the doctor go on.

"Brax, this is serious. I'm very sorry, but I had to report this to the authorities-"

"No." Shaking his head, he raises a hand in defense, then turns to leave. "No. You're not going to report anything. If you have to report to someone that I broke Danny's fingers, fine. Be my guest. But you'll leave them out of it, Kyle, Case, Danny. They've been through enough."

"Brax."

"I mean it, Dr. Sharpe." His eyes flicker dangerously as he glares at her, and still she doesn't back down, doesn't give up. Her hand grazes his arm as she tries to hold him back and his gaze falls on it, stays, drawn to it like it's an anchor keeping him from going under, drowning in this mess.

"Brax, you can't deal with this by yourself. Not anymore."

"We've been fine the last ten years since my parents left us. We'll figure it out. Just… leave us alone."

She's shaking her pretty head, strands of hair falling to the sides of her face, but she doesn't seem to care.

"These boys need help. All of them. And so do you. This burden is too much for you to deal with."

No. Running a hand over his face, he can feel himself crumble, and no amount of clenching his jaw and trying to take deep breaths seems to help anymore.

"There's institutions for these cases. People highly trained in this can help you - can help Danny work on his behavior…"

"He doesn't like change. He needs his family."

"So does Kyle. So does Casey. So do you. And you all need to know you're safe at home. Right now it doesn't look like either of you are… - And I'm very sorry, but I've already initiated the process. Someone is here to assess the situation, and to speak with Kyle, and you…"

Her voice is calm, and gentle, strangely soothing. But he doesn't want to hear it, doesn't want to hear what she's saying. No…

"It's okay, Brax. It's going to be okay…"

But it isn't...

It should have been more awkward perhaps, breaking out in tears in front of this stranger, but somehow, it doesn't matter now. The tears are coming, and while he is trying to hide away by putting his arm up and over his eyes, by turning away from her, he can't move anymore, can't walk, can't go on, and when she pulls him closer, patting his back like he's just a little upset boy, he gives up, gives in, and lets her do it.

Because it's the only thing that doesn't feel completely wrong now.

* * *

…

* * *

…

It's a couple days later when Kyle is finally allowed to go home, his throat still sore and bruised, a purplish-red band marring the skin around his neck. Casey pulls him closer, almost headbutting him, the grin on his face a bit too wide, a bit too fake, but Kyle doesn't care. He's just glad to get out of the bloody hospital.

"Good to have you back, mate! It's about time. The girls at school have already been asking about you."

Rolling his eyes, he shakes himself loose, just weakly protesting when Casey grabs his bag and tosses it in the trunk of the car parked right in front of the hospital door.

"I can do that myself, you know?"

"Said the guy with the rasp from hell. Mate, I suggest you keep talking to a minimum for a while. Don't even try to argue, or Brax is gonna shut you up."

"How's the big fella anyway?"

Casey shoots him a meaningful glance, then gets into the car. For a moment Kyle thinks he's not going to say anything, and maybe it's better that way, but then Casey talks after all, and Kyle tries not to look at him.

"Things are different now, mate. With Danny in that 'home'... - Brax is… I think he's burying himself in work so that he doesn't have to talk about him, or what happened to you."

Pressing his lips together, Kyle stares out the window, barely registering as the car begins to roll. He can't blame Brax there, because he also doesn't want to talk about any of it. Not about Danny, or those things that they wanted him to talk about back at the hospital. Abuse… He closes his eyes, forcing himself to stay in the here and now.

"Anyway." Casey's sigh is so loud that it should have been funny. But now it only sounds… sad. "Can I tell you something? Promise you won't say anything to Brax?"

Kyle looks up now, meeting his twin-brother's gaze briefly before Casey returns his focus on the road ahead.

"Sure, yeh…"

"I'm glad he's gone. Danny, I mean. I hope he doesn't come back, either, although I'm sure he will. I think I finally understand why Heath left…"

_Me too,_ Kyle thinks, but can't bring himself to say out loud, instead trying to smile over at his brother.

"Heath never took shit from anyone," he allows eventually, and Casey nods.

"I get why Brax is so mad at him for leaving, but I can't blame him. I mean… I don't have to tell _you_ that. Danny almost killed you."

"Can we… not talk about that?"

The look Casey shoots him says it all, and Kyle has to avert his gaze, gnawing on his thumb as he does.

"It's just…" Gosh, his throat hurts.

"Yeah, okay. I get it." The smile on Casey's face is genuine, the light nudge he gives Kyle making him feel slightly better. "Anyway. Tam has been driving me insane with questions about you. I think she may have a thing for you."

"What?"

The non-sequitur is so abrupt, so out of left field that Kyle needs a moment to process it. Tamara? As in, Casey's best friend? And she asked about Kyle?

Casey's glee is almost a little too annoying, the topic odd, but it's also a rather welcome distraction from their family troubles, so Kyle will take it. He can deal with Case teasing him about girls. (About one girl in particular…)

What he can't deal with, what he just can't face yet, is the past, the truth about Danny, and the fact that he's so relieved that Daniel is not around anymore. Maybe he'll finally be able to breathe at home now…

...


	2. Inhale

_Thank you guys so much for the support for this story so far._

* * *

…

The "home" is a nice enough place, bright and spacious, the personnel seeming caring and friendly, and yet Brax can't shake a looming feeling of doom whenever he is here to visit Danny.

When he opens the door to his brother's room, he pokes his head in first to gauge the situation in there, then he steps in, taking a deep breath.

Danny is sitting at a small desk, facing a window with a view of a park. Brax can see the big green lawns and a couple of trees, but his brother seems to be oblivious to them, focused solely on a large tool box in front of him, meticulously sorting through its contents. It's a familiar sight, almost soothing - if he didn't feel so wrong about having his brother in this place, away from his real home.

"Hey mate, what's up?" he asks now, slowly walking toward the boy, who doesn't acknowledge his presence at all, not even lifting his head when Brax sits down on a chair beside him.

"They treating you alright here, Dan?"

He doesn't expect an answer. But the complete lack of reaction still gets to him, something that will never change. This boy has taught him so much in the nineteen years he has been on this planet, but one thing that will always remain jarring is how different Danny's world is from everything Brax and his other three brothers are used to.

The Braxtons are a family so chock-full of emotions, always on the brink of letting them spill out and over and wreak havoc on each other and the world around them, that Danny doesn't seem to fit in. And yet he's a part of them as much as everyone else, and his absence at home has begun to grow oppressive. As if his presence before made them all tread a little more carefully, be a little more mindful of each other.

And now…

Brax presses his lips together, crossing his arms in front of him.

Danny is done sorting his screws, and has proceeded to clang and clutter with the larger tools in his box, weighing a heavy hammer in his hand, then a screwdriver, and Brax remembers what a fight it was to get the doctors and therapists to allow Danny to have his tools back.

The first few days after the… _incident_… weren't pretty. With Kyle in the hospital, barely able to breathe, let alone speak, and Danny away from home for the first time, things had been crazy. Then the doctors and counselors and child protective services had demanded Danny be kept away from anything that could function as a weapon, and of course the kid had rebelled.

No, it wasn't pretty. And it had taken Brax an insane amount of persuasion to explain to them all that Danny's resulting behavior was just his way of trying to get the things he needed to feel safe, to get his world back in order.

Until Dr. Nate Cooper had shown up, a specialist for autism spectrum disorder, and things had finally begun to look up again.

"Can't wait to have you back with us, mate," he says now, "Case and Kyle are driving me insane with their bickering. I could really use some company - and I need my mate back to watch the footie."

At the word, Danny stops what he is doing, his hands hovering over the box. Other than that, nothing has changed. He's still not looking at his oldest brother, and yet Brax knows the kid is listening. The footie and tools are the two things that will always have his attention.

"Did you see the last game? Yeh? They let you watch? Aw man, it was a good one, wasn't it?"

A smile spreads across his face as he leans back more, uncrossing his arms, slouching down. The following replay he gives of the game paints the smallest hint of a smile on his brother's features, so he goes on for a while, enjoying the calm between them, until it is time to leave again.

Saying goodbye is the part he hates the most, but at least in this case the lack of a strong reaction on Danny's part makes it somewhat easier.

"Love you, mate. See ya tomorrow, yeah?" he mutters when he's back by the door, waiting for a stupid second as if Danny could turn to look at him this time. But of course he doesn't, and then Brax closes the door and is out in the hallway, taking a heaving breath as he steels himself for what is to come. He'll have to go home now, see how the boys are doing, then head on over to Angelo's, his restaurant, for a second shift. If he didn't have his work, he doesn't know what he'd do…

The way over to the large foyer goes by fast, and he's already taking out the keys to his ute, getting ready to drive, when he stops in his tracks, startled. Out there in front of the entrance doors stands the pretty doctor from a week ago, Erica something, he can't quite recall her name. Her smile, however, that he still remembers.

When he steps out, her gaze meets his, and that smile is back.

"Hi!" she says, sounding genuinely pleased to see him and despite his usual grim mood, he can't help but smile back.

"Hey…" Running a hand over the back of his neck, he stops beside her, watching as she puts her phone back into her purse.

"I was just about to… pick up my, uh… my boyfriend. He works here." She points behind them to the door, grinning a little sheepishly. "You?"

So she has a boyfriend. Of course she does…

"Uh… my brother - the one whose fingers I broke - he's here to get evaluated."

"Oh." She looks down, but he can see her gnawing on her lip before her gaze meets his again. "Listen, Brax - it's Brax, right?" He nods and she continues, "I'm sorry. You must be mad at me for… for putting you guys in this situation. I know Danny needs the comfort of home, and you… you need him there, but-"

"I know," he interrupts her. Because he does, he does know. She did what she had to and it's okay. "It's your job. You were just looking out for all of them. Actually, I wanted to thank you. I didn't know how bad it was - with Danny and Kyle… That's on me, I…" The words won't come. He feels the now too familiar feeling of burning tears in his eyes, tears he can't allow to fall this time, not again, not in front of her, but then she steps closer, until she's almost right in front of him, her hand on his upper arm, and she's looking up at him with so much understanding that his heart is ready to explode.

"It's not your fault, you know? I'm no expert, but I know it's not. Actually, if you'd like, I'll have my boyfriend talk to you. Maybe you guys already met. His specialty is rare cases of violence in neurodivergent people, and-"

"Ricky! So sorry I'm late. I was held up," a voice blurts out just then, the doors opening yet again and Brax blinks as he sees Dr. Cooper emerge, an apologetic look on his face. When his gaze wanders over from Erica to Brax, his expression falters slightly before turning into what Brax can only describe as a professional smile. "Oh, Mr. Braxton, nice to meet you. Have you been to see Danny?"

"Yup."

They shake hands, the level of awkwardness increasing some more as they all stare at each other for a little too long.

* * *

…

School is not out yet, but it's a free period, and while normally Casey would have gone straight to the beach to get some surfing in, he decides to head home first this time, check up on his twin, whose classes ended a bit earlier already.

When he gets home, he finds Kyle asleep on the couch, one arm across his face, one still holding the neck of his guitar, and Casey can't quite suppress a chuckle. The kid is hopeless. Always just playing guitar, never taking up a board to join him and Brax out there, surfing.

For a moment he is tempted to wake him up, but when his fingers are almost at Kyle's shoulder, his gaze falls on the band around his brother's neck and throat again, the angry red and purple slowly fading but still all too visible, and the memory of that awful day flashes back through his head. As if a jolt of electricity bursts through him, he pulls away, grimacing. He watches Kyle sleep for a little while longer, watches him breathe, then, very quietly, walks backwards and away.

Brax isn't here, the house seeming deserted without the usual noises Danny makes, and it creeps him out. So much has changed within the last week, not all of it bad, but he feels bad for thinking that way, so there's that.

Nothing is as it should be.

With a sigh, Casey puts his backpack away, changes into some swim trunks and grabs his board, heading out the door before the eerie quiet can get to him even more.

The ocean will do him good, just getting away from home…

Sniffing, he shakes his head, trying to clear it. Danny is in that institution place, Brax always at work, Kyle… Kyle's still hurting, and Casey… He doesn't know what to think or do. Tomorrow that dude from the department of social services will be back to enquire about Danny, checking up on them all, and Casey can't help but feel like the bloke is intruding, making things even harder for them all.

They don't need someone nosing around in their business. It would be better if they'd just be left alone.

Except… He knows that isn't true. Because they all have scars on their bodies that no one knows about, or… no one used to know. Now Kyle's are out in the open, and they all will have to deal with that.

He raises his head, taking a deep breath of air. He can smell the sea now, and he's ready to just immerse himself in it, let the waves crash over him, and forget about all this for a while.

* * *

…

Kyle wakes up with a start, almost dropping his guitar in the process. Gaze shooting left, then right, he quickly assesses the situation, remembering that Danny isn't here. A sigh of relief escapes him, followed by a cough. Grimacing, he holds a hand to his throat, trying to take deep even breaths. For some reason he still seems to struggle with breathing. Even though Danny isn't here, and it's quiet and calm now, even though he's back home and healing, air is giving him a hard time. It just won't reach his lungs properly anymore, as if to spite him.

Bloody Danny. Gosh, how angry he still is at his brother.

No. That's not true. Not really, anyways. Poor Danny can't help who he is, and it would have been up to Kyle to prevent what happened that day. It's just… That constant clanging with the tools, it would get to everyone eventually. Right? And if you're trying to study for the upcoming HSCs, all the more so. He doesn't understand how Casey can be so nonchalant about it all, why he never seems to study. Sure, his twin is smart and gifted, but doesn't he want to do even better? To get the hell away from here?

Kyle does… He's done living in quaint and boring Summer Bay, he's done letting Danny Jr. get on his nerves, and Danny Sr. stomp back into their lives sporadically to drag them all down. He's done.

So what if Danny is in a home now? Does he really need to feel bad about that? Because he bloody doesn't. He doesn't…

Gripping the edge of the couch, Kyle tries to catch his breath, confused and panicked when it doesn't seem to work. He knows he needs to calm down. That's all. Calm down, everything will be fine. It's over.

There… Better. Closing his eyes, he digs his palm against the root of his nosr, then slowly gets up. Time to get a grip.

Tomorrow, when that DSS bloke comes over, he needs to be strong, for his family. He needs to make the man believe that all is well. They can't have a stranger poke around in their lives. He can see how it is starting to destroy them all, and he won't let that happen. And if that means he has to pretend all is well for a little while longer, he can do that. Especially when he thinks about what happened before - before Brax got custody of them, after Cheryl and Danny Sr. just abandoned them.

No, he won't let that happen again.


	3. Take a breath

…

"Mr. Braxton… Brax. - Brax!"

He zones back into the here and now, the sparse room he's sitting in coming back into focus. Staring down at his hands in his lap, he clenches them into fists for a moment, then looks up at the man opposite him.

Mr. Jameson is the DSS officer responsible for their case. Brax bites down hard at the mere thought of his family's issues having become such a problem that they have been assigned someone like this man.

"I'm sorry," he mumbles. "What?"

"Brax… I know this is not easy for you, but I can assure you that Danny is in a good place. He's doing really well."

"He doesn't like change, Mr. Jameson. I want my brother home."

"I know. But he's well taken care off-"

"Have you visited him there?" he interrupts the other man, his agitation getting the better of him. Ruffling his own hair, he leans forward. "They put him on all these meds until he's barely there anymore. Is that what you consider 'well taken care off'?"

Mr. Jameson sighs, looking too bloody nice, and Brax stands up, beginning to pace the room in an attempt to calm himself.

"I've taken good care of my brothers so far, haven't I? Or didn't you read the reports from your colleagues, who hassled us with all these surprise visits over the years? Huh?! - So why do you folks have to meddle now? Why can't you just let us do our own thing?"

He's arrived at the small window on the other side of the room, staring hard at a still kind and collected looking Mr. Jameson. If only the bloke was someone he could hate…

"Of course I've seen those. Listen. No one is saying you did anything wrong here, Brax, you know that, right? On the contrary, I think it was a mistake of the DSS that we underestimated Daniel's level of aggression-"

"He is _not _aggressive!"

Mr. Jameson's smile morphs into something a lot sterner, and Brax crosses his arms defensively, bracing himself.

"He attacked your younger brother, Brax. You can't deny that."

Scoffing, he grins a humorless grin.

"The boys can be idiots sometimes. Especially Kyle. He has a knack for provoking Danny. It was only a matter of time until he'd make the poor kid flip. It's not really Danny's fault-"

"There were marks on Kyle's arms and back. Not just his neck. Have _you _seen his hospital records?"

He tries to swallow, but can't quite get his throat to work. Licking his lips, he shakes his head, runs his hands over his face, spreading out his arms as if in surrender.

"Those are marks of abuse, Brax. This was not a one time incident. - And while I can't speak to how Danny has been treating the rest of you, the fact that he did this to Kyle-"

"Did Kyle say it was Danny?" It's like a last straw, something to hang on to, but as soon as the question is out, he's already deflating, feeling so helpless, so… exhausted. Without quite noticing what he's doing, he walks back, letting himself sink down on that chair in front of Mr. Jameson again. The man's face says it all. There's compassion in there, and a sadness Brax knows he should feel too, but he can't bring himself to let it in.

"You've had custody of your brothers for the last ten years, Brax?"

He nods, feeling like he's underwater. The man never even acknowledged his last question, and it's probably for the best.

"Ever since your parents lost custody…'

"Nah, there was a gap between that. For a few months they were with foster families."

"Okay…" Jameson takes notes in his old-fashioned notebook, the way the pen scrapes over the page making Brax want to shoot out of his seat. "So… - We could try that, too, if you'd like, let Danny come home to you, with a live-in companion, and the two youngest boys get to stay with a foster family-"

"No!"

"-for the last year." The frown Brax earns for his outburst says it all, but he continues to shake his head.

"No foster family. No."

"Why not? It would be a good solution for our situation, one that takes everyone into account. - It would only be until they're 18, anyways."

"Not an option. Find something else."

"Is there a reason for your strong reaction that I'm not aware of?" Mr. Jameson checks a thick folder before him, leafing through it while glancing back up at Brax sporadically.

There's a lump in his throat the size of a bloody boulder, yet he jerks his chin up in defiance, glaring ahead.

"Do your homework, Mr. Jameson. If you don't even know what sadistic people you fellas left my brothers with last time they needed your help, don't expect me to trust you with them ever again. - This whole thing is off the table. Danny gets to come home, the twins get to stay. You figure out a way to make it happen - and that's my last word."

With that he gets up, his legs almost giving out, then he storms out of the room, not listening to any other thing Jameson has to say.

* * *

…

"I'm Jen, Danny. I'll be your companion."

The corners of the girl's mouth are pointed upward. He knows it means she's smiling, and smiling is generally considered as friendly, nice, safe. But he doesn't know her, this Jen…

Where is Brax? Where is Casey? And Kyle?

Humming to himself, Danny tries to block out this new voice that he doesn't know yet, in this room that is not really his. There's his toolbox. That is good. But the rest, the rest is not right.

This is not his home. This is not… safe. It's not how it's supposed to be…

His humming grows louder, the urge to touch and sort his tools growing too strong. If he can count them, sort them, he'll at least be able to control one thing, one small thing that'll help him feel like it's going to be okay.

* * *

…

Casey is peeking into the sad near-emptiness of the fridge, fishing out a half emptied bag of grated cheese. Opening it, he grabs a handful and shoves it in his mouth.

"You're disgusting, Case."

"What?" he munches around the cheese, shrugging innocently at his twin, who is sitting at the kitchen table, making a face. On the other side sits Brax, staring at them both with an uncharacteristically absent expression.

"You not gonna chime in, Brax?" Casey grins at his oldest brother, then walks over to flop down next to Kyle, nudging his twin, who has slumped down in his chair like the sulky teenager he is. "Ya think he's gonna give us some kind of lecture, mate? He looks awfully serious."

"Probably just grossed out by your eating habits, and I can't blame him."

"If there's nothing good in the fridge? What's a growing kid like me to do? _You _might be okay with cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But I need to keep up my strength. Because as opposed to some other folks in this house, _I_ work out."

Kyle rolls his eyes, ready to retort, when Brax suddenly bangs his flat hands on the table, startling them both.

"You two, shut it!"

"Whoa, mate-"

"I mean it, Case. Not now with this crap." Brax's hard dark stare makes Casey grow uncomfortable. The big fella really means it this time. It's one of those days, apparently. "And you sit up straight, Kyle!"

The twins exchange a glance. Definitely one of those days.

"Do it, or he'll make you regret it," Casey mutters when Kyle merely crosses his arms defiantly, staring hard at the oldest.

Sure enough, Brax shoots out of his seat, slapping Kyle over the side of his head. "Sit up straight," he hisses, their gazes meeting, and Casey can feel the tension between them crackle when Kyle doesn't seem to back down.

"Or what?"

"Or…"

_This is gonna be bad,_ he thinks, glancing from one brother to the next, expecting the worst, when Brax very abruptly freezes, his body tensing up even more, his hands balling into fists, before he slumps back into his chair.

Anticlimactic. And odd.

"What's going on, Brax?"

"Alright, listen. DSS has two options for us. One, Danny stays in this institution for another few weeks, then gets to go home with a live-in companion to make sure he… he doesn't…"

"Strangle poor Kylie?"

"Shut up, Case." Kyle's death glare is rather… not funny, and Casey sobers quickly, feeling flustered.

"To make sure he stays in the lines," Brax says with a warning glance at Case, and all he can do is shrug, mouthing an, "Okay, okay," before loudly adding, "So that's what we'll do, right? How soon can he come home? Are we talking more like two weeks or-"

"What's option two?"

Both Casey and Brax look at Kyle, frowning, but the kid just crosses his arms and stares right back. "What? You said there's two options. What's the second one."

"Do you not want him to come home, mate?" Casey grabs his brother's arm, eyebrows raised.

"I didn't say that."

"Eh, you kinda did, yeh."

"I didn't!"

He sounds way too defensive if that's true, but a quick glance at Brax tells Casey that he shouldn't bring that up.

"Or you two go to a foster family-"

"No." They say it in unison, Casey half smirks at the realization, only… It's not funny at all. It's… awful. Swallowing has suddenly become too hard, and the taste of the grated cheese is cloying in his mouth. He feels ready to throw up.

Beside him, Kyle is suddenly sitting up much straighter, squinting hard at their older brother.

"You told them that's not an option, right? You told them… - We're not going… anywhere."

"Easy, mate. Yes, I told them that it's not really an option."

Casey has lost his ability to speak. Looking at Kyle, he focuses on his twin brother, letting him do the talking for now, while he tries not to let this drag him down memory lane. A foster family…

"Crap, Brax. You can't honestly consider that."

"I'm not. Okay? I'm not. It's just… we need to figure this out. You told the hospital staff that all these… these scars on your body, that it was Danny. Is that true?"

Kyle falls silent, and Casey notices he's still gripping his brother's arm. Carefully, he lets go.

Oh shit…

"Is that true?" Brax's imploring gaze is just on his twin now, but Casey feels like he's being accused of something, too, he just can't quite figure out what it is. Then Brax's gaze shifts and lands on him.

"That true, Case? Did Danny hurt Kyle? And what about you?"

He opens his mouth, looking to Kyle as if for guidance, but Kyle shakes his head at him, his breathing sounding slightly off to Case. Like it did after that day…

"For fuck's sake, you two! Why didn't you come to me?! Why didn't you tell me?! Crap!" Brax stands up so abruptly that his chair falls over, then stalks over to the kitchen window, leaning heavily onto the counter as he takes a few deep breaths. Before Casey has a chance to quite recover from the loud noise of the chair, Brax turns around and smashes a glass onto the ground, making both Casey and Kyle flinch.

This is not just one of those days. This is… Crap.

"You should have told me. I would have protected you!"

"It's nothing... Brax. - You know Danny," Kyle starts, and Casey is amazed he can still talk, what with the way he's breathing like he just ran half around the world.

"You alright, mate?" he asks, his voice so quiet he can barely hear it himself, but at least he's finally able to goddamn speak again.

Kyle doesn't even look at him, though, just plays with the hem of his shirt as he stares at Brax.

"He's just… so loud sometimes, and…"

"He hurt you kids. He hurt you when I was right there. How can I allow you two to be anywhere close to him, if-"

"It'll be fine."

"No, Kyle. It won't be fine. Look at you, mate. You're still having trouble breathing, and it's been weeks since he choked you. - Can't believe I'm even saying this. He choked you, and I broke his frigging fingers! What kind of white trash family are we?!"

"Come on, mate, now you're just…" Casey tries to speak up, his throat feeling constricted, his ears ringing. Foster family… That can't be the only option.

"Just what, Case? Can you tell me what I'm supposed to do now? I know a foster family is not really an option, not after last time. But…" Brax scoffs, staring at the ceiling in obvious desperation. "I can't let you two and Danny go on like this, either. What if it happens again."

"It won't."

"You can't know that, Kyle."

"It… won't. Crap, Brax. You said it yourself… - We're not going to a frigging foster family! So… - Fuck this, I'm outta here. I'm…"

The world seems to be revolving too fast around itself, and Casey is struggling to keep up. The ringing in his ears has grown to a loud rushing sound, all he can hear is his brothers arguing, and Kyle's staccato breathing.

"Brax, I think something's not right," he eventually manages, looking at his twin beside him, whose lips have taken on a creepy bluish hue. But the eldest has already caught on to that, racing toward them both, falling on his knees before Kyle, one hand coming up around the back of the kid's neck.

"Lean forward, Kyle. Come on, mate. Breathe…"

"I can't."

"Yes you can. In, and out. Like this…"

Casey watches like an outsider as Brax mimics deep and even breathing, one hand still on Kyle's neck, the other on his chest.

This looks strangely familiar, and suddenly Casey remembers…

A flash, and he's six again, sitting wide-eyed and terrified on the kitchen floor as his brother is wheezing before him, their mom too drunk to come and help…

He was supposed to have grown out of that during puberty. He was supposed to have grown out of it…


	4. Shhh

_Apologies for the delay, guys. I'm an idiot and decided to write two stories at once while I'm in the middle of a busy real-life stretch AND still suffering from motivational issues when it comes to writing._

_But fear not, this story here will continue, and I'm hoping I won't let you wait this long for the next installment._

_Thanks to all of you for reading, and as always, special thanks to those reviewing. You're the best._

* * *

…

"Asthma."

Brax looks at Dr. Sharpe with a mix of incomprehension and defeat. With a sighing exhalation, he continues pacing around the bed Kyle is sitting on. Poor kid looks more sulky than anything, though the pallor still hasn't left his face. The wafts of steam coming out the nebulizer he's holding seem thicker than they are, and Brax is reminded of another time that they were here, for similar reasons. Only, back then it wasn't Ricky Sharpe telling him the news - and it wasn't a nervous looking Casey waiting in a chair by the side of the bed, but a DSS officer.

"Mr. Braxton? Darryl?"

Jolting back before the memory takes over, he turns to the doctor.

"Brax," he says, because no one calls him Darryl - no one but his mom… "We were told he outgrew that. How's that possible?"

"Childhood asthma can sometimes be 'outgrown', yes. But certain circumstances, or unhealthy life choices can have a strong influence on that as well." She looks to Kyle, smiling at the boy, before she continues. "But you don't smoke, and you're not overexerting yourself physically-"

A chuckle from Casey interrupts her.

"The opposite, doc," he says, eyes gleaming, "My brother is the only one in the family who doesn't exercise. Like, ever."

"Shut up, Casey," Brax and Kyle say simultaneously, and the boy raises his hands in mock-surrender.

"Okay, okay."

Ricky smiles, and for some reason, that smile calms Brax. If the doc is still smiling, it can't be as bad as it feels right now. One brother in an institution, the other back to having severe asthma, and DSS looming above them all.

Her hand touches his arm, rests there, and he can't help but stare at it, taking a few deep breaths.

"If I were to make an educated guess, I'd say this is a result of the recent trauma to his neck and throat. - But Brax. This is manageable. Trust me, it will be okay. I'll send a nurse over to give your family a quick lesson in what to do if Kyle ever has an attack so it won't be as scary again as it was today."

He looks up, her gaze holding his instantly.

"Yeh," he makes, forcing himself to nod, wondering why it is so hard. He's used to things being tough, but lately everything seems to be piling up. "I know. We got it. Thanks, doc."

"Ricky."

"Thanks, Ricky."

She's still holding his arm, a gentle caress that keeps his mind from leaving the room. He likes this woman, he really does.

"Do you boys have any questions for me now? Anything you want to discuss before the nurse comes over?"

"Nope," Casey's chipper voice chimes up, followed by a hoarse "Nuh" from Kyle, and Brax turns around to glare at the older twin.

"You, no talking," he orders, then focuses back on Ricky Sharpe, who is chuckling.

"I think you got it," she says to him, then looks at Kyle. "Listen to your big brother, Kyle. Take it very easy the next few days, okay? No school tomorrow, but if you feel up to it, you can go back the day after. - Alright, I'll leave you to it."

She grins at Brax, pulling her hand away, and the spot of warmth she leaves makes him absently rub over it.

"If you need anything," she then adds, leaning in almost too close for comfort. "Here's my card. Day and night. Please don't hesitate to call."

Swallowing, he nods at her, trying out a smile of his own.

She's talking about Kyle of course, about Kyle needing medical help. Yet he can't shake the thought that maybe she means something else, too.

* * *

…

They're home just a few hours later, Brax strutting ahead to open the door, Kyle and Casey trudging after him. It's not easy to pretend nothing happened, but they're damn good at pretending all is well, so Casey doesn't even try to bring up how Kyle bloody scared him half to death. Instead he decides to go a different route.

"So, what do you want me to tell the girls at school?"

Kyle's glare is worth it already.

"Nothing."

"Yeah, mate, that's not an option. They're gonna ask about you. The _teachers _are gonna wanna know… So, are we going with the truth, or…?"

"Or what?"

They're halfway to the door when Kyle stops in his tracks, glaring at Casey, Brax nothing but a mere shadow by the door. Of course the eldest is waiting for them - as if they need a chaperon for every step in their lives. Sighing, Casey pats his twin brother's shoulder.

"Relax, mate. Don't worry. I'm not gonna tell them it's your asthma, alright? I'll just say it's still because of what Danny did."

"You're not gonna do that."

Casey rolls his eyes at Kyle's testy tone.

"Fine. - What exactly do you want me to say then?"

"I'm going to school tomorrow, so you're not gonna say anything."

"Yeah," Casey chuckles, "you heard the doc. - And before you argue, Brax definitely heard her, too. Heck, he pretty much stuck to her lips like a bee to honey. So don't even think of going, or he's gonna kick your ass for it."

"Oi!"

They both turn their heads to see Brax with his arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe.

"You two, inside!"

"Aye aye, boss."

Casey grins as he walks ahead, the expression changing quickly when Brax slaps him over the head as he passes him by.

"Ow. What was that for?"

"You tell me."

Glaring back, he decides not to do that, instead going for the fridge to grab some food. It's late, he's hungry, and something tells him that the day isn't over yet.

Sure enough, when Kyle is finally inside, too, Brax herds him over to the kitchen as well, saying, "You two, let's finish our conversation."

"Aw, Brax. Can't this wait? Let poor Kylie here get some rest. And me too. We got school tomorrow."

"No, you don't."

"I do, yeah. And Kyle says he's going too."

Brax glares from one to the other and back, ending on Kyle.

"You heard the doc."

"Brax!"

Their brother's stare brokers no argument, and Casey laughs as he watches Kyle deflate, slouching down on one of the chairs. But then Brax goes on, and his laughter dies down rather abruptly.

"We still need to make a decision."

"Brax," Casey starts, sudden worry making him sit up straighter. He shoots the eldest a glance, indicating Kyle as inconspicuously as possible, "I don't think-"

"Yeh, Case. I know, this is not easy. What I need to know now is this: how often did this happen, how often did Danny hurt either if you? - _Did _he hurt you, too, Case? And don't lie to me."

"I…" He trails off, looking to Kyle - in hopes his twin might answer perhaps. Something. But his brother is staring very hard at his own hands in his lap.

"Casey?"

"Not like Kyle, no," he allows, trying to meet Brax's gaze. Seeing the shock in his face, the hurt makes him wish he wouldn't have to continue.

"What's that supposed to mean? Did he hurt you or not?"

"It's not his fault, Brax. With how dad treated him - and us… and his ASD…"

"I know that, alright?! Just tell me."

"He'd sometimes lash out, yeh. But only if I forgot about one of his rules." Casey chuckles even though this couldn't be further from funny. "I mean, come on, Kyle, we kinda had it coming, right?"

Kyle remains quiet, the whole place is too quiet, and Casey doesn't know what to do or say. Deflating, he stares at the table in front of him, realizing that he's barely even touched his leftover pasta. But he's not hungry anymore, anyways. He's just tired now.

"Please don't leave Danny at that place, Brax. Kyle and I, we can be more careful. Right, Kylie? We can work it out. But Danny… he doesn't know anyone there. That place is not his home. He'll miss his room, he'll miss going to the beach with us. He's a part of this family, and you always say we do everything for blood, blood sticks together, so let's stick together. Yeh?"

When he's finished, neither of his brothers says anything for a long time. Then, eventually, Brax sighs audibly, placing both hands on the table in front of him.

"I don't know, Casey. This decision has to be made by all of us. I…"

"Then let's make it! Kyle, you want him to come back, right? I mean, I'll help make sure you guys don't clash, and then-"

"Fine!" Kyle interrupts him. "Go bring him home!"

Casey startles as his twin gets up so quickly his chair almost topples over, exchanging a glance with Brax, who squints at him with suspicion.

"No," Brax then says, shaking his head as Kyle begins to walk past him. Getting up, too, he grabs the other's arm, keeping him from leaving, and all Casey can do is stare at them.

"Let me go."

"We'll have Danny stay at the institution, if that's what you want."

"It's not! It's not what I want, okay? I just…" Kyle looks so pained that it physically hurts Casey. He knows exactly what his twin is thinking, because he's thinking it too.

They don't want Danny to stay at that awful place. But they don't want him home, either. And how is that fair? How is that okay? To not want someone you love so much close by?

It doesn't make any sense.

* * *

…

Kyle can't sleep. But at least he can breathe again. Glaring at the inhaler on his nightstand as if the medicine is to blame for any of it all, he lies in his bed, trying not to think too much.

Danny is coming back. They all made their decision, together. He knows the kid will be better off at home. He doesn't want Danny at that institution, far from family. Surely he can get a grip and be a little more mindful of his brother's needs this time. It's not Danny's fault, after all. It's just…

No. He can do this. The next time Danny walks into his room shaking his damn tools around, he'll just… go somewhere else.

He can do this, for his family.

Except...

With a sudden burst of anger, he lashes out, swatting the inhaler off the nightstand before he turns around, burrowing down under his comforter.

* * *

…

Everything is still there. In order. He counts it all, touches the tools he couldn't bring to that other place. His room is as he left it, so is the flat. Just… Kyle's door is locked now, Casey's too.

"Everyone has their own special place now, okay Danny? We all have to honor that."

Brax's mouth smiles at him.

His eyes don't.

Jenny is here now, too, which is confusing. But Jenny is okay. So he can learn to be okay with her being here, too. She's not staying during the nights. She doesn't have a special place.

Not like Kyle and Casey have.

Brax's door is still open.

Danny's own door is open too. Will always be open.

He knows he did something wrong. You don't hurt people. He didn't mean to. Sometimes he does things he can't explain, not to himself, certainly not to anyone else.

They love him here. He understands love.

He loves them too.

So much.

He's glad to be back.

* * *

…

…

Brax had an awful day, a bloody hell of a nightmare. Some familiar faces from the past showing up at the restaurant, stirring up trouble, inconsistencies with the books that needed sorting, a late delivery, then the ute not starting - and now it's three in the morning, and he'll have about three hours of sleep before it'll start all over again.

When he finally stumbles out of the car and to the door, he's so tired that he can barely get the key in position, making too much noise as he tries. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he begs that the boys didn't hear him, that he'll be able to slip in and go to bed and leave any family drama for the morning.

Thankfully, it remains dark and quiet when the door finally opens.

The air inside feels damp. He should open a few windows before hitting the sack. But he's so tired. Stumbling on like he's drunk on lack of sleep, he puts his keys on the table, then makes his way over to the boys' rooms - only to find all doors wide open, the beds empty.

Instantly, he's alert. Awake. His heart is beating too fast and he grins, chuckling to himself. He really needs that sleep. He's growing paranoid. There'll be a ridiculously harmless reason for this. There'll be-

He's made his way through the flat and back to the kitchen, from where he can see the backyard. There are shadows on the porch.

It's as if deep down he already knows it even though he can't understand it yet. His legs carry him over to the backdoor as if of their own accord. Then he's out there, smelling the breezy air, looking around, and he sees…

Danny. He's lying at the bottom of the stairs. It's just a few stairs, not very high, it shouldn't…

Brax rushes over to him, putting a hand to his neck, relieved when he can feel a thready pulse. The boy looks almost peaceful, his eyes wide and staring up ahead, into the night sky. But there's blood seeping out and into the grass from the back of his head, and when he calls out to him, "Danny, Daniel," there is no reply. No reaction.

What…

Licking his lips, Brax turns, trying to think, trying to make sense of it. And then he sees them, Casey and Kyle, sitting leaning against the wall of the house, Kyle holding Casey in a tight grip.

"Case?"

The kid's eyes are closed. He's leaning against his twin brother, Kyle's hand pushing down onto his stomach, stained red.

"Oh bloody hell. What happened?!"

Brax is over there in seconds, one hand patting down Casey, one already grappling in his pocket for his phone.

"Fuck. Casey! What happened? Casey? Kyle."

He needs to focus. He knows he's loud, but hell if he cares if he wakes the whole neighborhood. If he does, so be it. Something awful happened to his family, and he has no clue what's going on.

Kyle is staring into nothing, breathing erratically, clinging to Casey as if both their lives depend on it. Shaking the kid, he tries to get him to lock gazes, but he's out of luck.

"Come on, mate. What happened here? Who… who did this? Who did this?!"

"Oi, you Braxtons. It's three in the morning! Shut it, or I'll have to call the cops."

Brax raises his head, spotting John by the fence, looking positively annoyed. The man glares at Brax, shining a flashlight over.

"You alright over there?" There's sudden doubt in John's tone, and it takes Brax another moment before he finally finds his own voice again.

"We need an ambulance!" he yells, the realization hitting him like a truck, making him gasp out as sudden nausea makes him close his eyes for a second. "Call a bloody ambulance! Or two!"

He doesn't hear what John says in reply, though he knows the man does say something. But then Casey opens his eyes, looking at Brax, and the world around them comes to a stop.

"Casey."

"I'm… I'm okay," his youngest brother mumbles, not sounding okay, his hand grabbing Kyle's bloody one. "I'm okay."

"What happened, Case?"

Frantically, Brax pulls off his button-down shirt, shoving it toward Casey's garish injury, trying to get Kyle to take his hand away.

"Use this," he tells him, glad when the otherwise unresponsive kid does as he is told, pushing the shirt against whatever awful bleeding gash ripped open Casey's stomach.

Maybe it looks worse than it is…

"Come on, mate. Tell me what happened."

But neither of the twins replies.

...


	5. This isn't happening

_Writing is a bitch lately. Sorry guys. Thanks if you're still here. And warning: heavy stuff up ahead._

_Also, I'll be going on vacation over Thanksgiving (sorry, weird US thing coming up Thursday in a week…) and beyond, so the next update will be a while again. Hopefully the vacation will help with writing motivation… :)_

* * *

…

Brax doesn't know where to go first, what to do. John is here now, helping him get Danny into a side-lying position. His neighbor is a blessing in disguise, usually obnoxious and all too righteous, he's also a trained lifeguard, and he can help while they wait for the ambulances to arrive.

Ambulances. Plural.

What the bloody hell happened here? He still doesn't know.

There's a large gash at the back of poor Danny's head. The kid is completely unresponsive, the fact that his unseeing eyes are open wide creeping Brax out more than his frozen younger twin brothers still sitting not far away, eerily quiet.

"You can go over to them, Brax." John pats his shoulder briefly, looking at him with a sympathetic expression. "I got Danny. If you need anything over there, just say the word."

Brax stares at John, nodding, trying to function. It's strange that he never noticed before how fatherly his neighbor could be, how much in charge.

And for someone who has been used to being in charge for the last ten years or so, it's a completely new feeling for Brax to realize that he's grateful for that.

* * *

…

It's going to be okay again. Brax is here, and it's going to be okay.

"What happened to you boys? Was this… did someone come over here?"

Brax's question seems so… innocent. He probably thinks this is somehow River Boys related. If only.

"You hurt anywhere else, Case?"

Casey tries to think.

"I don't know. No. I'm okay. Brax-"

The words want to come out, but he can't let them. So he stops, half choking on a sob.

"It's alright, mate. Ambulance is on the way. You just hang in there. - Kyle." Brax's focus shifts, though he keeps one hand on Casey's arm. "You hurt, too?"

"He won't talk, Brax. He won't…"

"It's alright, Case. - Ya think you could let go of Kyle for me?"

Frowning, Casey follows Brax's gaze, only then realizing that he's holding Kyle's arm in a death grip. He chuckles softly, which makes him hiss out in pain soon after.

"Easy." Brax is looking at Casey, one hand under his chin now. "Can you let go so I can see whether Kyle needs help, too?"

But he can't. He just can't. It's…

"Okay. That's okay, Case. You just hang in there. - Kyle, I'm going to have to pat you down if you can't tell me whether you're hurt. I need to make sure-"

"What about Danny? Brax, is Danny…"

Casey can't bring himself to say it, but he needs to know.

"Case…"

"Is he… he's not dead, is he? Please say he's not dead."

"No, mate. He's not dead. But he has a pretty nasty head injury…"

Casey nods, as if any of it makes sense.

Danny is alive. Kyle is alive. They're all alive, and Brax is here.

It's going to be alright. Has to be…

* * *

…

It's alright. It's alright. If he just keeps focusing on Case, keeps his gaze away from _over there, _it'll be okay. He just needs to… focus. And breathe.

There's blood seeping through between his fingers, Casey's blood. But now Brax is here too, taking matters into his hands, and Kyle can relax a bit again.

It's over. It's all over.

This didn't happen.

Closing his eyes, finally, Kyle allows himself to take a deep and shaky breath, relieved when his lungs don't give him too much trouble. What happened out here… He tries not to think about it, tries to block it out, because thinking about it is just too awful.

Danny…

Swallowing, he takes a peek out from behind Casey, and past Brax, who is still sitting by their side, talking - to him or Casey, he can't be sure, the words won't translate at all, as if his oldest brother is speaking a foreign language. And there he sees John, their neighbor, kneeling in the grass, right where Danny-

No. No no no. He can't go there.

Don't think about it, don't think about it.

"Kyle. Kyle. Hey, mate. You need to let Casey go now, okay? The paramedics are here. They'll take good care of him."

Without being quite able to look Brax in the eyes, his words do jolt Kyle back to the here and now, and he involuntarily tightens the grip on his twin, unable to stop himself. The need to protect the youngest of his brothers is too strong.

"Kyle, mate. Come on."

"I'm… fine, Ky."

Casey. His twin is looking up at him, a small and fleeting smile on his face that Kyle can't reciprocate.

"Case."

"It's okay. I'll be fine."

It sounds like Casey is cajoling him, which almost makes him laugh. But then another face - a stranger's - appears before him, and he's back in survival mode.

"This is Ray, Kyle. He's a paramedic."

"I just want to take a quick look at your brother, okay? And then at you…"

They all sound uncharacteristically soothing, calm, and kind. Brax doesn't even wear his usual stern no-nonsense expression. He hasn't chided him once for being a little baby about this whole stuffed up situation, and even in his current frazzled state Kyle understands how unusual that is.

Seconds pass by, or maybe minutes, he's lost all feeling for time, and the nice face of Ricky Sharpe appears before him.

Frowning, he stares at her, for the first time able to focus on anyone again.

What is she doing here?

"It's going to be okay, Kyle," she says, smiling first at him, then briefly at Brax, who is hovering by her side. "Your brother here called me. He said it might be easier for you if I was here…"

Her touch is soft and gentle.

Kyle's gaze flickers over to his older brother, his lips moving as he tries to say something, tries to put into words what simply doesn't want to compute.

"Brax, I… I didn't want this. I'm… I'm sorry. I'm sorry-"

And as he finally lets go of one brother, watching out of cloudy eyes as they take Case away quickly, the other brother pulls him close, and the world begins to fade in and out of focus at a nauseating pace as he sobs.

"It's okay, mate. You're okay…"

But it isn't. Nothing is okay anymore. Certainly not him.

* * *

…

Brax takes a deep breath. Folding his arms behind his head, he stands in the damn waiting area of the hospital, watching the hallways like a sentinel on guard. He's been waiting for news from all three of his brothers, but the info is coming in sparse bits and pieces, and he's beginning to lose his patience - not that he ever had any to start with.

"Hey…"

Her soft voice filters into his conscience before he sees her sidle over to him, a look of concern on her pretty face, her hair coming undone as she tugs at the band holding it together.

Ricky Sharpe.

Dropping his arms, he makes himself return her greeting, his voice sounding hoarse.

"Ricky. Hey."

He doesn't know why he called her earlier, and if he's being honest he feels a little embarrassed that he did. But when almost his entire family lay broken in the backyard, Kyle in a close-to-catatonic state, Casey badly bleeding and Danny… close to death, he didn't know what else to do.

And Ricky helped.

Now she's out of her doctor's attire, and all he can do is stare.

"Thanks. For… you know…"

A brief smile flickers across her face, making her eyes light up in a way that shoots right through him, almost making his frozen heart restart, but then the moment is gone along with her smile as she waves his words of thanks off.

"Of course. I'm sorry I couldn't do more. Have you heard back from them?" When he shakes his head, she nods, her hand on his arm now, so soft and warm. "Do you want me to check for you?"

His voice is close to cracking.

"That… uh… yeah, I…"

"Okay." She smiles again, pats his arm, then abruptly leans in and hugs him. He stiffens, then, slowly, allows the gesture, as she whispers, "I'm so sorry. Let me know if you need anything else…"

Then she's off before he can say anything else, and it's probably for the best because he feels way too broken right now, not at all himself.

He's always been the one to hold everything together, their family included. He's always protected them all, and now?

"Brax!"

Grimacing, he turns around, shaking his head as he sees who is storming down the hallway. The lost brother.

"Heath."

"The hell is going on here? Our brothers are all in the bloody hospital, and you're not telling me?"

Brax swats at the fingers that are poking his chest, shoving the irate looking Heath away. He's too tired for this, the righteousness, the accusatory tone.

"What happened? Was it River Boys stuff? Where's everyone? I'll bloody kill whoever did this! Bloody hell. If this was Jonno, or Pirovic-"

Grabbing Heath's neck hard, Brax has finally had enough of the poking and yelling, pulling his brother close.

"Shut it, will ya?!"

"Let. Go."

"If you stop acting like a goose."

Heath glares at him as best as he can, but eventually the fight does leave his body, and Brax decides it's safe to let go of him.

"The hell is wrong with you?" Heath rubs his neck, taking a step away as Brax slaps him over the head for good measure. "Oi!"

"You, shut your mouth. You show up here, now, like this, and dare talk to me like that?"

Raising his chin, Heath sizes him up, and Brax can barely help the urge to grin, before he quickly grows sober again.

"Our brothers almost died! And you didn't think it necessary to let me know. What do you expect?"

"You decided to walk out on this family, Heath. That was you! And now you think you have any right to demand anything from any of us? Where were you when they put Danny in a bloody home? When Kyle was in hospital? When his bloody asthma reappeared? Eh?"

"I didn't walk out. You know how it was. Police was onto us - onto _me_. I _had _to go. Besides, you know how things were with Dan, and look now! I heard what he did to Kylie. Weren't you gonna tell me about that, either?"

Sighing, Brax rubs his eyes, digging his fingers deep into the root of his nose where a nice stress headache is beginning to form. He doesn't want to fight with Heath. He really doesn't.

"I'm not doing this now." Shaking his head to himself, he turns away, walking off as he feels Heath come after him.

"We're not done here! Brax! - Tell me where they are. What's the status? When-"

"I don't have a bloody status, alright? Will you get that in your head? I don't know anything you don't know already. Danny is unresponsive, Case got stabbed, and Kyle… I have no bloody clue. Kid has checked out."

"Checked out."

Brax whirls around, ready to fight now, but when he looks at Heath, the kid has a deep frown on his face, wiping his forehead with a lost expression, and suddenly Brax feels… bad.

"Danny… Heath, did he ever…"

He can't say it, but he doesn't have to. The sudden change in his brother's demeanor speaks volumes. Heath crosses his arms, raising his chin as he stares over at Brax with a challenging look.

"What?"

Licking his lips, Brax deflates, shaking his head yet again. This all can't be true, can't be happening.

"That why you left?"

"Brax…" There's a hint of uncertainty in Heath's tone, like the kid doesn't quite know what Brax is getting at, and it's all he needs to hear. Confirmation.

"Shit," it escapes him. "Shit…"

Before either of them can say anything else, can delve deeper into this territory that he doesn't actually want to have to broach, a scrubbed figure comes out a door, walking straight toward them, and all their attention focuses on them.

"Mr. Braxton?"

"Yeh." Brax is quick to shake the woman's proffered hand, squinting only briefly at her name tag before focusing on her earnest face.

"I'm Dr. Morgan. I hear you are Daniel, Casey and Kyle's older brother and also have custody for them. Is that correct?"

"Yeah, yeah that's right. Are they…" _Alright_ won't be the best word to use because he knows that they're definitely not that. Not one of them is alright. To his relief, the doctor goes over it anyways, looking down on a chart in her hand briefly before continuing to talk.

"Casey suffered a puncture wound to the abdomen. Thankfully no vital organs got perforated, but he'll still have to be very careful the next few weeks."

Brax nods, absently running a hand over his head as he and Heath exchange a brief glance.

"Puncture wound?" Heath asks and the doctor turns her attention to him.

"He's family," Brax says by way of explanation, noticing Dr. Morgan's hesitation. "Heath. Our other brother."

"Right. Well… Yes, Mr. Braxton, a puncture wound, consistent with a bloodied screwdriver the police found at the scene."

"Fuck me," it escapes Heath, who covers his face in his hands while Brax stares at the woman as the puzzle pieces slowly begin to come together.

"So Case should be okay?"

"He lost a lot of blood. A lot." The stern look the doctor gives him says more than her words. This was a closer call than the outcome makes it seem. Casey got lucky. "He needs to rest. No strenuous activities for a while. We'll keep him here for a few more days to rule out infection or secondary injuries.

"What about Kyle and Danny?"

"Kyle… has a deep laceration on his left arm and a concussion from where he was likely hit over the side of the head by a heavy object. We'll keep him overnight to monitor for any swelling of the brain, but he should be okay to go home tomorrow."

"He hasn't talked at all, doc. When I found him, he was… out of it."

The doctor's features soften a little as Brax looks at her, his arms crossed behind his head again as he's trying to take the information in.

"That's not too surprising after what your brothers have been through. A concussion can do that, too. Of course I can't speak as to any sustained mental trauma, but physically, he should be okay again soon. - What has me a bit worried however is his breathing rate. I see in his chart that he has adolescent asthma. Is that correct?"

"Yeh. I mean… He was fine for a long time. But… he's had some issues again recently."

The doctor nods, making a note on her chart, and Brax can't help but feel like he's under investigation. As if this was a police interview…

"Okay. We'll monitor him closely and probably hook him up to some extra oxygen."

Brax feels his own throat close, his body tense in concern.

"He didn't have another attack, did he?"

"No-"

"Because he was breathing alright when I found him - them."

"He's alright, Mr. Braxton."

"Brax."

"Brax." The doctor smiles briefly. "The oxygen is just a preemptive measure, to help him with his breathing. It's a little wonky at the moment, but nothing too worrying. - But I'm afraid that's it with the good news."

Danny…

Brax looks over to Heath again, who has stepped closer by now, nudging Brax's shoulder.

"Is it Dan?" Heath asks, staring at the doc, crossing his arms in a defensive stance when she nods.

"Tell us."

"Daniel… I'm sorry, Brax - Heath… He's suffered severe brain trauma, consistent with how he was found at the foot of a set of stairs. It looks like he landed on something very sharp, rock going by the debris we found in the wound, and it led to catastrophic injuries. I'm afraid-"

"He's going to be okay, though, right? You can fix this." It's not a question, because it can't be. It can't be a question. Danny has to be okay.

Dr. Morgan shakes her head. Beside Brax, Heath is doing a weird pirouette-like motion, pressing both hands against the sides of his head, before he half lunges forward, so close to the doc that Brax has to step in and pull him away.

"What are you saying, eh?" he yells, "What are you saying?!"

"Heath. Brax. I'm sorry, but at this point, I don't think we can do anything else for Danny. We tried to stop the bleeding, but the injuries were just too severe. He's in a coma right now and I don't think he'll wake up from that. I'm so sorry."

"No. There's gotta be something else you can do. Danny… he's… he's had to go through too much shit in life already. This can't have been it." Brax is shaking his head, his arms still wrapped tight around a thrashing Heath.

"There isn't, Brax. There's no evidence of higher brain function anymore. Right now we're keeping him on organ-support, but… he's brain-dead."

This can't be happening.

"I'm very sorry. - You can see him, of course, make your goodbyes. - I know this seems tactless, but unfortunately there'll be things for you to decide now."

Don't say it, don't say it…

"Was your brother listed as an organ-donor?"

Brax looks up, never letting go of Heath even as his brother freezes in his arms. His gaze meets that of the doctor, her eyes full of a sadness he can't feel yet, can barely comprehend.

"Danny is dead?"

Dr. Morgan nods.


	6. Within

_I'm so sorry for the delay. Hopefully 2020 will help me get over my writing motivation struggles. We shall see. I have a ton of projects going at the moment, so that doesn't help._

_But, special thanks to FrankElza, who just reviewed a bunch, I'm finally back here with this new chapter!_

_It's probably a bit wonky, apologies for that._

* * *

…

"But. I don't understand… - He was doing so well…"

Jenny, Danny's live-in companion, appears as confused and shell-shocked as Brax feels when she looks at him now, both of them sitting at the police station.

The place is dreary as ever, bare and unwelcoming, but Brax doesn't even notice. It doesn't feel the same when he's not here because of River Boy stuff.

Clearing his throat, he forces himself to talk to her.

"What did they ask you?"

"Um…" Her voice is shaky. The poor woman looks so forlorn that Brax finds himself patting her shoulder awkwardly, as she sniffles into a very used up tissue. "I'm sorry," she says, taking a deep breath. "This must be worse for you, of course."

He snorts. That's the understatement of the year.

"Well, they asked me about Danny's behavior in the last few months, whether he was aggressive, acted out. But he didn't. He was fine! I think we had finally made real progress with him understanding that he needs to respect other people's boundaries, and… I just… Brax, he was fine! There was nothing going on with him and the boys. Everyone got along. How… how did this happen?"

"I don't know, Jenny."

Her sad face makes him want to punch a wall. None of this is the poor woman's fault, and yet he can't help but blame her a little. He needs to blame someone…

Why didn't she notice anything? Why didn't anyone? And why the hell aren't the twins talking?

"Mr. Braxton?"

He lifts his head to see a police Constable nod over to him. The man is new, and maybe that's for the better. No bias.

"Follow me please."

Jerking his head at Jenny, trying to smile at her and failing, he runs a hand over his head, then does as he was told. Trudging after the policeman, he finds himself in an interrogation room, sitting down opposite the man and a woman he hasn't seen here before.

"I'm Constable Walters. This is our police psychologist Amy Carmichael. She will be talking to your brothers today."

"I want to be there. You're not gonna talk to them alone."

"Of course," the woman says with a smile, her gentle tone taking the fight right out of Brax. Crossing his arms, he leans back, gauging the two. The setting makes him feel like a suspect, as usual, his defenses going up.

"Why am I here?"

"Because your brother is dead and your other two brothers got assaulted at home, Mr. Braxton. We're just trying to investigate what happened there. Don't you want to know?"

"What kind of question is that?!"

"Easy, Mr. Braxton. You're not here as a suspect."

Raising an eyebrow, he stares at the other man, trying to force himself to calm down. He's right, of course. A crime happened at his home. A crime. In his own home.

"What do you know?" he asks, abruptly leaning forward, half over the table, and to his credit Constable Walters doesn't seem intimidated.

"Not much, I'm afraid. Which is why were sending Amy over to talk to the twins. We're hoping she can get through to them."

"Well, good luck with that. They haven't talked to me and it's been two days."

Two days since Danny died…

"As a courtesy, I want to tell you what we do know. - Danny's companion gave us a status report on his medical condition. She also mentioned why she was appointed as his companion, and we corroborated what she told us by talking to a Dr. Cooper and Dr. Sharpe? There were instances of fraternal abuse in your family, is that correct?"

Brax doesn't want to answer that, but he knows that he doesn't have a choice. He doesn't have a damn choice, does he? They'll paint Danny in a bad light, and then…

"Yes," he presses out, clenching his teeth as the Constable nods. "But Danny is not a bad kid, he-"

"We understand that Danny didn't have any real control over his behavior," Walters interrupts him, lifting a calming hand, but it had an adverse effect on Brax. He feels ready to explode, until he hears the officer's next words and freezes.

"Of course we still need to talk to your brothers, but from the evidence we gathered at the scene and the medical records of the injuries sustained by Danny, Kyle, and Casey, we are ready to call this an unfortunate case of domestic violence resulting in fatal self-defense."

The words don't want to process. Brax blinks, staring from the Constable to the woman next to him, then back.

"What are you saying? That my brothers did this?"

"We think," the psychologist takes over, "that yes, your brothers - the twins - were defending themselves against your brother Danny. There are clear marks on Danny's hands that indicate he was holding the screwdriver that was used to injure Casey."

"No…"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Braxton."

"He wouldn't have… Danny never used his tools as weapons. Never. He wouldn't have."

"We think he did, though, Mr. Braxton. We don't know why yet, but something must have set him off. He might have felt pressured, might have even felt the need to defend himself. And once he stabbed Casey, we believe Kyle appeared on the scene. We don't know exactly what happened next, but we believe at some point, one of the kids pushed Danny down the stairs."

"No!"

Brax jumps up, ruffling his own hair as if he can tear out his brain that way, unlearn what he just learned.

"It would have been self-defense, Brax. Casey was stabbed. Whoever pushed Danny, they must have been scared for their lives."

This wasn't getting any better, was it?

"You sure it wasn't an intruder? I don't know whether Emerson told you about my family but-"

"We know about the River Boys, Mr. Braxton. But there are no traces of breaking and entering. Nothing."

Brax swallows, tasting bile. So the blame for this mess, for Danny's death wasn't an outside job, retaliation for River Boys business. The blame lay within.

* * *

…

The hospital room is bright, a nice little bouquet of flowers, a few cheesy cards and balloons adorning the otherwise bare space, but Heath's gaze wanders outside. It's a beautiful day out there, nice surf, too, and he'll have to go back down to the water in a bit to recharge his batteries.

But right now, he's still waiting for Brax to relieve him, as if he can't leave the twins alone. And he can't.

They still don't quite know what happened, neither Casey nor Kyle willing to talk much, but that psychologist got at least part of the story out of them. Sighing, Heath tries not to think about that, but the whirl of images and thoughts in his head won't leave him alone.

If only he was there for them. Maybe, if he had been around, none of this would have happened.

Or he'd be lying here, too, another voice in his head chimes in, and he tries to quench it, get it to shut up. Someone needs to be blamed and it might as well be him.

Danny was in Kyle's room, even though he wasn't allowed to be in there after the… the _incident_. Heath squeezes his eyes shut, digging his fists into them as he tries to stop the thoughts and fails.

Danny in the room, banging and clanging with his tools. He remembers those noises, remembers Danny…

But Kyle wasn't actually there, at least that's what Casey said…

_I was worried Kyle would get home and be angry, that things would escalate. So I tried to get him out of there before Kyle got back from the late shift at Angelo's._

_And then I heard the door. I had to do something, you know? Brax, you… you understand, right? I had to… He wasn't listening and I heard Kyle come in, and… I tried to shove him out the door, into the hallway… I don't really know what happened next._

But Heath has an idea… Danny doesn't like to be touched, let alone shoved. He doesn't like physical contact. - He didn't.

_He was crazy, he was hitting Case with his bloody tool belt when I got there,_ Kyle told them, and Heath won't forget the scary distant stare his brother had when he did, like he was only half there. _I tried to get between them, but… Suddenly Casey screamed and everything was full of blood. There was so much blood, but Danny. He still wouldn't stop. He wouldn't stop…_

_Then he attacked Kyle. I could barely see, it hurt so bad. And I knew I couldn't let him do the same to Kyle..._

_So I shoved him, _Casey said.

And Kyle: _So I__ shoved him._

Heath opens his eyes to look at his two brothers now. They are rooming in together, both thankfully asleep for now, and he doesn't know what he will do or say when they wake up.

One of them killed Danny. Self-defense or not, their family would never be the same again.

"Hey."

He turned to see the eldest brother appear by the door, arms crossed, a weary expression making him look about ten years older than usual. "They doing okay?"

"Still asleep. Doc said that's to be expected. They're healing fine. Kyle will be able to go home tomorrow."

What Heath doesn't tell him is that he has no idea how that is supposed to work. Kyle is a mess. They all are.

"I don't know what to do with them, mate," Brax suddenly admits, and Heath feels a pang of sympathy. If even he doesn't know what to do, it's gotta be bad.

"Yeh. I know. We'll just… we'll just have to, you know, be there for them I guess. Make sure the house is, um, cleaned up and… you know…"

"Right. Hey, it's fine. I can take over now. I'm sure you need to be back wherever it is you've been these past months. So, I'll… I'll take over again. Thanks for your help."

"No, mate." Heath shakes his head, getting up off his chair. "This is family business, so I'm staying."

"What about the cops."

"Turns out they're not looking for me anymore." Heath grins a lopsided sheepish grin and Brax stares at him, jaw clenched, before he lets out a deep breath.

He keeps the incredulous"Really? You kidding me? So all this stupid hiding, leaving us alone was for nothing?" to himself, but Heath knows that that is what he's thinking. And he can't blame him either.

"Anyway," he mutters. "I'm here to help, Brax. If you let me."

The silence between stretches into awkwardness, and Heath is ready to accept whatever decline he'll be getting. But then his brother surprises him with a single quiet, "Okay."

And just like that, Heath is back.

* * *

…

Everything hurts. Casey wants it to be over, the pain, the awful memories. Those images flashing through his mind whenever he closes his eyes. He wants it all to stop.

He pushes Tamara away, because she doesn't understand. No one does. Only Kyle.

But they can't talk about it. They just can't. Or, Kyle can't and Casey is tired of pushing it, of worrying about the asthma flaring up with every near mention of something relating to that night.

That night, when Danny died…

Closing his eyes, he fists the hospital blanket, willing the darkness away before it can take over.

The pain is still there, suddenly a welcome distraction. His entire midsection feels as if he's being torn in half.

"You okay, mate?"

"Huh?"

He looks up to see Brax sitting by his side, concern so obvious in his face that Casey has to avert his gaze.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. - Is Kyle back home?" He nods over to the empty bed beside his, then sees Brax nod.

He wanted to say goodbye, but you were out when Heath got here to bring him home."

"Right." And he couldn't have waited, a petulant little part of him wonders, but he bites his lip to not show his upset.

"You'll get to go home soon, too, okay? I promise."

"Yeh…"

Does he want to, though? Go home to where Danny died?

No.

* * *

…

When Brax leaves to go home it's late. Casey wasn't in great shape, mentally or physically, so he tried his best to keep him company, but now it's time. He needs to check on Kyle, too, and Heath.

If only the bloody elevator would get here already. Maybe he should just walk.

"Hey stranger."

He turns around, an involuntary half-smile appearing on his face.

"Ricky, right?"

"Thanks for not calling me Erica!"

She chuckles, the sound making his knees grow a little weak. She's cuter when she laughs, a little less intimidating. Still, she's a formidable woman. In another life…

"How are your brothers? I'm so sorry about what happened…"

"Yeah…" Say something, he cajoles himself but he doesn't know what to say. What _is _there to say?

"You look like you could use a drink. On me?"

"I should get back to my brothers. Kyle - one of the twins - got sent home today."

"He's not alone, though, right?"

"He's with our other brother. Heath."

"It's settled then." She beams at him, an arm wiggling itself around his. "You're coming with him. It's walking distance, too! So it'll be perfectly safe!"

"Ricky, I don't know… If you're trying to do me a favor, don't. I promise I'm fine."

Her face flushes a bit, almost falling but not quite.

"Okay, I'll be honest here. It would be you doing me a favor, okay? The thing is…" She began stammering, no longer meeting his gaze. "Remember Nate?"

"The doctor boyfriend, who treated Danny."

"That's the one… - Anyways. He and I… things are complicated and I'm kinda trying to not go home just yet? So…"

He scoffs, a smile stealing its way into his features.

"Just one drinks," he then allows, and she beams at him again.

"One drink! - Thank you!"

* * *

…

It's dark when he gets home. Way too late now. Brax is a little drunk and a little smitten with one Ricky Sharpe, but now the dreary reality awaits him, and he'll have to face the family. Or, what's left of it. Just Kyle and Heath home right now…

The living room is deserted, the kitchen too. No TV is running, no lights on. He finds Heath passed out and deep asleep in Casey's room, still wearing the same outfit he arrived in two days ago. Kid smells, too. Brax wrinkles his nose, opens a window, then walks on to check on Kyle.

When he gets to his room, the door is closed, but not locked, and he knocks lightly, then opens it, only to immediately close it again.

Bloody hell.

Leaning his head against the door, he takes a few deep breaths, forcing himself not to go in there and confront the kid.

Because it won't help anyone, might just freak Kyle out.

Still.

What the hell was the kid thinking?

Brax tries to unsee what he just saw: Kyle and Tamara - Casey's best friend - in bed together.

Why? What was the idiot thinking?!

That is the thing, though, he probably wasn't thinking anything.

Crap.


End file.
